


fairplay

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Established Relationship, Kissing, M/M, Swordfighting, i really just wanted to write sylvix swordfighting, kind of?, swords and kissing what more do you need
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He used the sleeve of the other arm to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. Without turning around, he said, “Don’t you have anything better to do than to distract me from my training?”A grin spread across Sylvain’s face. “Hey, I was just enjoying the view. It’s not my fault that my presence is so captivating. But I guess I can always leave if you want me to…”Felix turned around just a little too quickly to seem unbothered. He scowled. “Instead of gawking like an idiot you can make yourself useful and spar with me.”
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	fairplay

**Author's Note:**

> it's been AGES since i last wrote something so please please be kind. the last thing i wrote was a paper for uni about twilight and the gothic genre so this is very, very different from what i usually write. but i got the idea stuck in my head and couldn't shake it so here we are. who doesn't love a good swordfight between boyfriends.

Early mornings were one of Sylvain’s favourite times of the day. He enjoyed walking around the monastery grounds when only a few people were awake and going about their business. It gave him time to think and clear his head. And sometimes, like today, Felix was up early and getting in some training before breakfast. 

Sylvain stopped by the entrance of the training grounds and leaned his back against the wall, watching Felix’ back as he circled one of the training dummies. 

Felix was wearing appropriate clothes for the unpredictable weather of the Great Tree Moon, though he must have taken off his coat at some point before Sylvain had entered, as it lay carelessly tossed aside on the steps to the training grounds. 

Watching Felix train was one of his favourite past-times. He moved so agile and so gracefully, it reminded Sylvain of a cat circling its prey. And if he looked closely enough, he was even able to see the muscles of his back move as swung at the training dummy yet again. 

Suddenly, Felix halted his hacking and slashing of the training dummy and took a few steps backwards, letting his sword arm drop to his side. He used the sleeve of the other arm to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. Without turning around, he said, “Don’t you have anything better to do than to distract me from my training?” 

A grin spread across Sylvain’s face. “Hey, I was just enjoying the view. It’s not my fault that my presence is so captivating. But I guess I can always leave if you want me to…” 

Felix turned around just a little too quickly to seem unbothered. He scowled. “Instead of gawking like an idiot you can make yourself useful and spar with me.” 

“As you wish.” 

Sylvain knew a thing or two about fighting with a sword. He had trained his swordsmanship when the Professor had signed him up for the White Heron Cup all those years ago. While he preferred the lance or axe nowadays, there had been a couple of instances when he had picked up a sword instead. So yeah, he knew his way around a sword. Sure, he wasn’t anywhere near as talented as Felix or the professor were with their swords when they cut through the enemies’ lines like they were no more than pesky little weeds, but he knew some things. The pointy end was supposed to go in the enemy, timing is crucial, don’t drop your sword and all that other stuff. If he was surrounded by enemy soldiers and only had a sword to fight his way out, he was confident that we would make it out of there alive. 

He adjusted his grip on the hilt of his sword, watching the light reflect in the cold metal of the blade. 

“Shouldn’t we be using training swords instead?”, he asked as he moved his wrist in circles before doing a few practise slashes to get a feel for the weapon. 

“The enemy doesn’t use training swords either. Don’t tell me you’re scared?” 

“Me? Never! I’m just worried about what the ladies will think if I get a cut on my beautiful face. But then again, they do find scars attractive, don’t they?” 

Felix’ scowl deepened if that was even possible. “You’re an idiot. Quit fooling around and just fight me already, you idiot.” 

Sylvain raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Sorry, I was only teasing. You know it’s not the ladies I’m interested in these days.” He winked at Felix and let his lips curl into a smirk. 

He didn’t even attempt to get the first hit, instead, he got into position and planted his feet firmly on the ground so he wouldn’t be thrown off balance by the blow. 

Sylvain knew Felix. In fact, he was pretty sure that he was the one that knew him best out of their little group of friends that had grown up together. Ingrid was a close second but their relationship was different. Felix and Ingrid were like brother and sister, and so were Ingrid and Sylvain, but Sylvain and Felix were something different … Something more intimate. Sylvain wasn’t exactly sure what they were - Felix wasn’t the type to talk about his feelings - but he knew that Ingrid didn’t know Felix the way he did. She hadn’t been fighting alongside Felix for the past five years and been there to see every little change the war had brought with it. Not that he blamed her for not fighting alongside the two of them. She had needed to help her father in Galatea. And she was here now, fighting with them to free the Kingdom from the Empire’s grasp. Five years ago, he would have said that Dimitri was the fourth person of their little circle that was able to tell what was going on inside Felix’ head, but now he wasn’t exactly sure how much Dimitri even remembered. Some days it seemed as if he was an entirely different person that was just wearing the face of their childhood friend. 

So, if there was anyone that knew Felix - really knew him - it was Sylvain. And he liked to think that Felix also knew him best. There was a reason why the Professor usually stuck them together on the battlefield. They worked so well together _because_ they both knew each other. They moved together like a well-oiled clock, predicting the other person’s moves and acting accordingly. Whenever the two of them fought together, it just felt right. Like everything was fitting into place. 

Felix was strong. Sylvain had seen him take down enemies with a single blow of his sword. It was a mesmerising thing to witness, the kind of power that his friend could wield. But while he was powerful, he also tended to be rash. Sylvain might seem careless to other people, but when they were fighting enemies, it was he who stayed level-headed while Felix got caught up in the adrenaline of the battle.

He just needed to be able to withstand Felix’ attacks until he would tire himself out or he would get careless enough so there would be an opening and that was when Sylvain could turn the battle around for himself. 

Sword fighting was a lot like dancing, in Sylvain’s opinion, and there was a reason why he was the one that the Professor had picked for the dancer class. Felix lunged forward, Sylvain took a step backwards. Felix directed his sword towards Sylvain’s right side and he parried, changing its course. 

Felix moved quickly, barely giving Sylvain enough time to consider what he might do next. The sound of their heavy breathing was the only thing to hear in the training grounds beside the sound of metal hitting metal whenever their swords connected. He could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down his neck. It was exhilarating. 

The grin on his face grew as he blocked yet another blow. “Is that all you got?”

Felix grunted as he attacked again and Sylvain could swear there was even more force behind it than the previous ones. 

“You know,” he said, as he moved another step backwards to avoid yet another blow, “I really would have expected more from _the_ Felix Hugo Fraldarius.” 

Sylvain couldn’t help but admire how fierce he looked right now. A couple of strands of hair had come loose from his updo and were falling into his face and sticking to the light sheen of sweat that had formed on his forehead. Felix made a sound that sounded almost like a growl and Sylvain’s breath caught in his throat for just a moment. 

The next couple of things happened very quickly. As Felix lunged at him again, Sylvain took another step backwards, but they already were a lot closer to the edge of the training grounds than he had realised. His foot hit the steps, causing him to lose his balance and stumble backwards. For a moment, everything was spinning and Sylvain prepared himself for his arse to connect with the ground, but that moment didn’t come. Instead, he felt himself being yanked upright again.

“Watch where you’re fucking going,” Felix growled, the hand which had grabbed the fabric of Sylvain’s shirt to catch him showing no sign of letting go. He was close enough that Sylvain could feel his breath hitting his face. 

“Are you saying you won’t always be there to catch me if I fall?” 

Despite the scowl, there was also a light flush beginning to creep up his neck all the way to his cheeks. “No. So you better pay more attention. I don’t want to find you lying dead in a ditch because your foot got caught on a tree root or something.” 

Sylvain rolled his eyes. “You have no faith in me.” 

Felix didn’t dignify him with a response and instead let go of his shirt and took a small step backwards but did not attempt getting back into sparring position. Sylvain raised his brows at him. 

“Does this mean you yield?” 

Within an instant, Felix was back in his space, pressing his back against one of the pillars that lined the training grounds and the blade of his sword hovering at Sylvain’s neck in no real danger of doing any actual harm but close enough to show that he could. 

Sylvain did the only logical thing he could think of at that moment. With his free hand, he grabbed Felix by the collar of his shirt, giving him no time to react before pulling him into a kiss. He could feel Felix freeze for a split-second, before giving in and returning the kiss. His hand moved up to grasp Sylvain’s hair while the other one slowly dropped to his side and let go of the sword, sending it falling to the ground with a loud clatter. 

Sylvain allowed himself to enjoy the kiss for a couple of seconds before he brought his sword up to Felix’ neck and pulled away with a smirk. 

“I win,” he said, his voice slightly raspy. 

Felix just stared at him, his lips still slightly parted and his fingers still very much holding onto Sylvain’s hair. 

“You _fucker_ ,” he growled and suddenly let go. “That doesn’t count.” 

“I got you to drop your guard, didn’t I? And all is fair in love and war.” 

He leaned down to pick up the sword that Felix had dropped and walked over to the weapon stand. 

“You can’t just _kiss_ enemy soldiers to get them to drop their guard?” 

Sylvain bit back a grin, willing himself to not yet turn back around but instead pretended to busy himself with properly putting away their swords. 

“Oh? I think it’s a pretty good technique. Except you have a very good reason why I shouldn’t do it.” 

He turned around now, unable to hide his grin when he saw how red Felix’ face had turned. He was still standing in the same place where Sylvain had left him. 

“I said so.” 

“And could that possibly be because the only person you want me to kiss is you?” 

The glare that Felix was sending him now was positively deadly and Sylvain almost worried he had gone a step too far. They never really talked about it like this. Their first kiss had just sort of … happened at some point. And then there had been another one, and another one, until they had more or less just become part of their routine. 

Sylvain knew Felix. And he knew that Felix didn’t like to talk about his feelings. And Sylvain was okay with that because most of the time he could tell what Felix was feeling. But the next thing that Felix said, after letting out a very long and deep sigh, even surprised him. 

“Yes, Sylvain, I want to be the only person that gets to kiss you.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! you can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/niympha).


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